01

A game that has gone viral

Who says men don't spend money?

Today, 'Black Myth: Wukong,' a game that many have been waiting for years, finally made its debut. With pre-sales reaching 390 million yuan in just one month, selling 1.2 million copies, and rumors of sales exceeding 5 million copies (estimated sales exceeding 1 billion yuan) by August 20th, it has shattered pre-sale records for domestic games. Even before its official launch, it drove sales of Luckin Coffee's limited-edition collaboration products to sell out. The 'Tengyun Americano' paired with a 'Black Myth: Wukong' paper bag and cup sleeve sold out overnight, surprising even Luckin's management with the purchasing power of men.

The game comes in four versions: a digital standard edition priced at 268 yuan, a digital deluxe edition at 328 yuan, a physical deluxe edition at 820 yuan, and a physical collector's edition at 1998 yuan. According to official sales channels, all physical editions are currently sold out.

Many companies have even given their employees time off and reimbursed game purchases to experience the game firsthand. Major gaming bloggers have also begun live streaming, and related topics have instantly trended on social media.

Why has this game gone viral? Both gamers and non-gamers are discussing it fervently. Not only does it resonate with Chinese cultural backgrounds, but seeing the Monkey King face off against Erlang Shen, the Four Heavenly Kings, and countless heavenly soldiers evokes deep-seated memories in every Chinese person.

Source: Game footage

The world of 'Black Myth: Wukong' is based on 'Journey to the West,' where players take on the role of a 'Chosen One' on a perilous and wondrous journey to uncover the truth behind ancient legends.

More importantly, it is China's first true domestic 3A game. A 3A game refers to those with high development costs, long development cycles, and significant resource consumption.

Founder Feng Ji said, 'We used the world-leading Unreal Engine 5. Whether it's static lighting or dynamic effects, it achieves cinematic quality.' For example, in the prologue, the oppressive Four Heavenly Kings confronting the Monkey King perfectly recreates the original 'Journey to the West' description of 'Yellow winds rolling, obscuring the sky, purple mists swirling, shrouding the earth.'

Overseas gaming media Siliconera praised it as 'stunning, offering an intriguing and exciting reinterpretation of East Asia's most popular mythology.'

Zhao Xuan, Secretary-General of the Zhejiang Game Industry Association, described it as a milestone for Chinese games going global. 'Global players are voting with their wallets, proving that Chinese games have the ability to break the long-term monopoly of European and American companies in the high-end gaming sector.'

02

Behind the 3A masterpiece, there's more than just hard work

The entrepreneurial story of Game Science CEO Feng Ji is comparable to a difficult pilgrimage.

A decade ago, Feng Ji, the former lead designer of Tencent's PC online game 'Dou Shen,' left Tencent and co-founded Game Science with former colleagues, determined to create a 3A game.

Due to the long development time and high costs, only foreign companies had previously attempted 3A games. Domestic game companies preferred to develop profitable mobile games. For a long time, players could only experience foreign cultural scenes and characters in 3A games.

But now, Chinese games are finally making a strong push, telling Chinese stories in a global language. The biggest challenge is the cost.

Feng Ji (Image source: Xinhua News Agency's 'Voice')

As the first domestically developed 3A game, the development of 'Black Myth: Wukong' was incredibly challenging. It took over four years, with an estimated hourly development cost of 15 to 20 million yuan, for a total development cost of at least 300 to 400 million yuan.

Behind the significant costs, capital played a crucial role.

Among the shareholders, two major game companies stand out - Tianjin Hero Jinkong Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of game developer Hero Entertainment, holds a 19% stake, while Tencent holds a 5% stake through its venture capital platform Guangxi Tencent Venture Capital Investment Co., Ltd.

Some estimate that Tencent's investment in Game Science may exceed 200 million yuan. Tencent has offered a 'three no' principle - no interference in business decisions, no competition for project leadership, no pursuit of distribution or operation, and has even stated that it does not seek commercial returns from its investment in Game Science.

In addition, Tianyancha data shows that Shenzhen Youke Interactive Technology Co., Ltd. is currently controlled by Feng Ji with a 38.76% stake, while Shenzhen Youke Interactive Enterprise Management Center holds 27.36% and Shenzhen Youke R&D Enterprise Management Center holds 9.88%. The equity penetration diagram shows that the actual controllers of these two major shareholders are both Zheng Runzong and Feng Ji.

In reality, Tencent's investment in Game Science has paid off. Before the game's official launch, the 'Black Myth' official account on Bilibili had over 3.4 million followers, comparable to national-level popularity.

According to the latest weekly sales rankings on Steam (August 6-13, 2024) released by Valve, 'Black Myth: Wukong' topped the global weekly sales chart, with pre-sales reaching 390 million yuan. As word-of-mouth spreads, there is potential for even greater growth in the future.

03

Controversy is a good start

From its inception, 'Black Myth: Wukong' has been surrounded by controversy.

Abroad, there have been criticisms about the lack of female characters, while domestically, some have questioned its 'exploitation of classics' and 'selling sentimentality.'

Precisely because of these controversies, it has garnered unprecedented attention. One American blogger lamented, 'For the first time, I've seen a game that has made players worldwide spontaneously study every page and inscription.' It has even inspired many foreigners to study 'Journey to the West.'

However, all of this is premised on the product being exceptional. 'It's not because you have a Chinese style tag that you have a 'get-out-of-jail-free' card,' Feng Ji said in an interview. 'You should tread carefully.'

Currently, the experience of 'Black Myth: Wukong' is quite positive. Players who have tried it say that whether it's the smoothness of battle scenes, the delicacy of character movements, graphics, or music, it is on par with previous foreign blockbusters. The traditional Chinese style combined with modern aesthetics creates an immersive cinematic experience.

However, some early access gamers have pointed out flaws, such as occasional frame drops and stuttering, but overall, it still receives high marks. Even IGN China, a top gaming review media outlet, awarded it a perfect 10, calling it a masterpiece.

The highest-level games represent a country's game development capabilities and the best cultural promotion. It's impressive that the creative team, despite lacking 3A production experience, has produced such a high-quality work.

Would you like to try this game? Share your thoughts in the comments below!